Door closing warning signal



Dec. 28, 1937. a OWN 2,103,324,

DOOR CLOSING WARNING SIGNAL Filed Aug. 10, 1935 DOOR CLOSING DooROPENING 2 a a 2 a4 44 Ill] IIIII I =L 1 7O 74 I INVENTOR 3 6 68SIDNEYGDOWN w BY A TTORNEY Patented Dec. 28, 1937 PATENT OFFICE DOORCLOSING WARNING SIGNAL Sidney G. Down, Edgewocd, Pa., assignor toWestinghouse Air Brake Company, Wilmerding, Pa., a corporation ofPennsylvania 7 Application August 10, 1935, Serial No. 35,600

1 Claim;

This invention relates to door controlling equipments, and particularlyto the type employing a fluid pressure operated door engine forcontrolling the doors of a passenger vehicle.

The principal object of my invention is to provide, in a doorcontrolling equipment of the above type, indicating means automaticallyoperative, upon the initial operation of the equipment by the operatorin effecting the closing of the door, to warn the passengers that thedoor is about to close, thereby serving to clear the door area safely inadvance of the closing of the door.

Another object of my invention is to provide indicating meansfunctioning as just described at a definite time interval prior to theclosing of the door.

'A further object of my invention is to provide indicating means of theabove character of simple and economical construction, by utilizing thepressure of fluid exhausted from a door engine in operating to thedoor-closing position for actuating such indicating means.

In the accompanying drawing: Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic, sectional view ofa fluid pressure door operating equipment embodying one form of myinvention; Fig. 2 is a development view of the operators door valvedevice provided in the equipment shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is adiagrammatic view, partly in section, of a. modification of the signalelement of my invention; Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view, partly insection, of a further.

modification of the signal element; and Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view ofmy invention in a form employing electrical signal means.

slidably mounted therein door-opening and doorclosing pistons l8 and I9,respectively, said pistons being secured to opposite ends of a rackmember 2|. The rack member has teeth 22 in operative engagement with agear segment 23, which is mounted on a rotatable shaft 26, adapted to beconnected to a door or the like (not shown), in any suitable manner.

With the door valve device 6 in the door-closed position as shown inFig. 1 of the drawing, the chamber I3 is connected through a port 21 inrotary valve |6' anda passage and pipe 28 to a piston chamber 29 at theouter side of the door closing piston H]. A similar piston chamber 3| atthe outer side of the door-opening piston I8 is, in

As shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing, the door- The door engine 1 comprisesa casing having the door-closed position, connected by way of a pipe andpassage 32, a cavity 33 in rotary valve l9, and. a passage 34 to anexhaust pipe 36.

According to my invention, the signal device In, which in the embodimentshown in Fig. 1 is in the form of a whistle device, is connected to theexhaust pipe 36 by means of a branch pipe T 38, a choke fitting 39having a restricted passage 4| being provided in said pipe beyond saidbranch pipe T for effecting a local back pressure upon the flow of fluidunder pressure through the exhaust pipe. The outer end of the exhaustpipe is connected to atmosphere through the usual muiiler device 9,which maybe of any suitable construction.

When it is desired to operate the door controlling equipment to open thedoor for the accommodation of passengers, the handle I! of the doorvalve device is moved to the door-open position. Fluid under pressure.supplied to the reservoir 8 in the usual well known manner then flows.

through pipe and passage M to chamber |3,'and thence through a port 42in the rotary valve l6 and passage and pipe 32 to chamber- 3| ,in thedoor engine 1. The pressure of fluid in the chamber 3| acting on thedoor-opening piston |8 operates the rack member 2| and gear segment todoor-open position, while the door-closing piston i9 is shiftedoutwardly, the piston chamber 29 being vented to atmosphere by way ofpipe and passage 28, a cavity 43 in the rotary valve l6 and anatmospheric exhaust port 44.

In order to effect the closing of the door, the

device 9, a back pressure, sufficient to operate the whistle device It),is built up'in said pipe. An

audible warning to the passengers that the door is about to close isthus sounded.

On movement of the door valve device6 to the door-closed position asjust described, fluid under pressure is supplied from the reservoir 8through pipe and passage l4, chamber |3 in said device, port 21, andpassage and pipe;28 to the piston chamber 29. When the fluid pressurein:

said chamber 29 is increased sufficiently, the door-closing piston I9 ismoved to the left, oper-' ating the rack member 2| and the gear segment23, and shifting the door-opening piston l8 outwardly against thereduced fluid pressure in chamber 3|.

area of the restricted passage 4| in the exhaust pipe 36, the venting ofthe fluid under pressure bottled up in the door engine piston chamber 3|may be at a rate slow enough to retard the movement of the connectedpistons l8 and I9 to the left under the pressure of fluid supplied tothe piston chamber 29, thereby effecting a predeter mined delay inoperation of said door engine to the door-closed position. The operationof the signal device by action of the fluid pressure in the exhaust pipe36 is thus automatically effected a definite interval of time prior tosaid operation of the door engine. 1

In Fig. 3 of the drawing, the invention is shown in another form, inwhich a pneumatic horn device 50 is provided for sounding the warningsignal, it being noted that in other particulars, such as theinterconnections with the door operating equipment, the arrangement issimilar to that disclosed in Fig. 1. The horn device 50 comprises a pipebracket 5| which is connected by way of the branch pipe T 38 to theexhaust pipe 36 at a point intermediate the choke fitting 39 andthe'door engine, a body portion 52 mounted to said pipe bracket, and ahorn bell 53 secured to,

said body portion. A diaphragm valve 54 which is interposed between thebody portion and the pipe bracket, is adapted to vibrate under thepressure of fluid-exhausted through the pipe 36 in the mannerhereinbefore described, thereby producing the desired signal. 'Fig. 4 ofthe drawing shows a further modification of the signal element of myinvention, in which a buzzing check valve device 56 is connected througha choke fitting 51 having a restricted passage 58 to the branch pipe T38, which is interposed in the exhaust pipe'36 at a point intermediatethe choke 'fitting 39 and the door engine. The check valve devicecomprises a casing containing a valve plate 59 which is normally urgedinto engagement with a seat rib 6| by the pressure of a spring 62. Whenfluid underpressure is supplied to the" exhaust pipe 36 from the doorengine justbeiorethe doors begin to close, 'as already described, aportion of said fluid flows by way" of the restricted pas sage 58 to achamber 63 in the check valve device and acts on the valve plate 59. Thesaid valve plate is thus forced from the seat rib 6| into engagementwith the end of a stop portion 64, and fluid under pressure then flowsfrom the chamber 63 through atmospheric exhaust passages 65. Since fluidunder pressure in chamber 63 is vented at a rate faster than that atwhich it is built up by thesupply of fluid through the restrictedpassage 58, the fluid pressure acting on valve plate 59 is quicklydecreased, permitting spring '62 to seat saidplate. Upon the fluidpressure in chamber 63 again increasing, the

,.above operation will be repeated, the alternate impinging of the valveplate 59 against seat rib 6| and stop portion 64 producing a buzzingsound of suificient intensity to effect the desired warne ing signal.

In Fig. 5 my invention is shown in another,

illuminated sign, which serves to flash a visible.

, piston 61 has a stem 69, to which is secured a contact member 10,suitable insulating means ll being interposed between said member andstem. The contact member 16 is adapted to bridge switch terminals 12when the piston is. moved upwardly, said piston being normallyurgeddownwardly by a spring 74. A source of electric current 15 is adapted,when the circuit is completed, to supply current through a signal wire16 to the filament of a suitable lamp 11, which isarranged toilluminate. a sign such as- 78. In operation, fluid under pressure"discharged from the door engine by way of exhaust pipe 36 as beforedescribed builds up suificient pressure in the chamber 68 of the switchdue to the restricted flow through the restricted passage to move piston61 upwardly until the contact. member 10 connects the switch terminals12, therebyrcompleting the circuit through the lamp "IT and producingthe desired visible warning signal.

It will be evident from the foregoing descrip tion that by employing thesimple and economical means disclosed in my invention in connection withthe door controlling equipment of a passenger vehicle, the passengersmay be given appended claim. 7 r I Having now described my invention,what I.

claimas new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

Ina vehicle door controlling equipment, in

combination, adoor engine having a movable abutment operative by fluidunder pressure supplied to one sideto opena door and by the fluid underpressure supplied to the opposite side to close the door, a controlvalve device having adoor-open position for supplying fluid underpressure to the door opening side of the movable abutment, and having adoor-closed position for supplying fluid under pressure to the oppositeside of said abutment andfor venting fluid under pressure from said dooropening side, a communication through which said control valve device isadapted to vent fluid under pressure from the door-opening side of saiddoor engine to the atmosphere upon movement of said device to thedoor-closed position, said communication having a choke portion with arestrictedflow area for producing a local back pressure in thecommunication upon fluid under pressure being supplied thereto, andfluid pressure responsive signal means connected to said communicationintermediate said choke portion and the door engine. V

SIDNEY G. DOWN.

